What does Isaiah 22:14 mean?
What does the Lord do when He has brought His own people face-to-face with certain death—and they still refuse to turn to Him for help (Isaiah 22:11)? How would He respond, when even in what seem to be their final moments, they refuse to repent of sin and ask for His forgiveness?In this case, the Lord gives Isaiah a verdict for His people: This sin of faithlessness will not be atoned for, or made right, until they die. In other words, the Lord sentences His people to die for this sin. The Bible is clear from beginning to end that the Lord wants His people to trust in Him to save them. David summed it up in Psalm 9:9–10:
"The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you."
Given one last opportunity to seek God and put their trust in Him, the people of Jerusalem choose not to do so. The Lord will not be a stronghold for them indefinitely.